As many celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday last week with friends and family (and hopefully plenty of food!), I wanted to take some time to reflect on what I am thankful for as it relates to our collective work as an organization.
First and foremost, I am thankful for our students. From the youngest students in our pre-kindergarten programs to our adult education students in our high school equivalency and ESOL programs, they are the driving force behind every decision we make and every program we offer here at Questar III.
Second (and no less important), I am thankful every day for all of our staff who work every day to make sure we provide students with the strongest, most effective education possible for as long as they are with us. We have a great many staff who do not work directly with students- those in our district services whose work benefits our students not through direct contact or educational time, but by providing support or expertise that allows districts to concentrate on educating their students.
I am also thankful for the opportunity of all children in our country to receive a free public education. At a time when charter schools, school choice and private schools are a contentious issue at every level of government, public schools are still of great importance. That’s not to say other school models are bad – they certainly are not – but public schools are the bedrock of our democratic society, and there will always be families who depend on public education for their children.
Central to our work are our leaders – district leaders who work collaboratively with us to expand educational opportunities for students in our region, and our BOCES leadership, including Harry, Matt and myself, but also our directors and department heads. These people are responsible for leading our departments and programs at a time when the face of public education is undergoing significant change in our region, state and country. I am grateful for their leadership and insight in their respective areas and all they bring to the table to keep us moving forward, and always growing our ability to change lives, realize dreams, and do together what cannot be done alone.
As the holiday season gets into full swing and you look ahead to spending time with family and friends, please remember that in the busyness of the season, your hard work and dedication to our students and districts does not go unnoticed.
I know I speak for many inside and outside of our BOCES when I say sincerely, thank you. Thank you to our districts for continuing to work closely with the BOCES to meet the needs of students in our region. Thank you to our staff for putting our students first, for giving above and beyond to make our programs and services the first choice for so many families in our region, and most importantly for continuing to help Questar III stay at the forefront of innovation and success.
